Top 20 Funniest South Park Episodes

While this trilogy references everything from “A Clockwork Orange” to “My Neighbor Totoro,” superheroes are the primary target. The episodes derive plenty of satire from the oversaturated genre, the funniest running gag involving trying to guess which boy is behind each mask. Some are obvious, but others are more mysterious, making it all the more hilarious when Kenny is nonchalantly revealed to be Mysterion. Kenny’s inability to die also cleverly ties into the trilogy’s themes, providing Mysterion with an origin that’s funny, tragic, and even epic. As grand as the story is, the creators aren’t above subverting our expectations with some classic troll humor courtesy of Mint Berry Crunch. If you think this trilogy should’ve placed even higher, what can we say except, [“we’re sorry.”]

By Season 5, Butters had developed into one of the creators’ favorite characters. With plans to expand his role, Butters was given center stage in this episode. Being more cheerful than the other kids, you’d think “Butters’ Very Own Episode” would match his optimistic attitude. At first, the episode indeed feels less like “South Park” and more like a family sitcom from the 90s. However, things go from TGIF to WTF as Butters discovers his father’s double life, causing his mother to endure a mental breakdown. The result is one of the show’s darkest episodes. Even as his parents spiral out of control, Butters remains as naive as ever, making for an episode that plays like true crime meets “Full House.”

It’s debatable when exactly Randy Marsh stole the show. For our money, it was the Season 11 premiere. Commentating on the Michael Richards controversy, Randy makes a massive blunder on national television. It’s one of the most offensive moments in the show’s history, but we dare you not to laugh (and cringe) at the uncomfortable buildup or the soul-crushing payoff. Although hard to watch at times, the episode shrewdly analyzes the double standard in 21st-century America. If there were a caucasian equivalent to the most hateful word you could call a Black person, it wouldn’t just be taboo; politicians would ban it. At least that’s Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s philosophy. Like Cartman in this episode, you’ll laugh uncontrollably… even if you know you shouldn’t.

Some series lazily stitch together a clip show when they reach the 200-episode milestone. “South Park” strove not to do this, but they built upon the concept by revisiting various storylines, tying them into a single narrative. This pair of episodes provide the ultimate in-joke for “South Park” fans, calling back to the show’s most iconic and infamous moments. Whether or not you catch every reference, this two-parter demonstrates what “South Park” does best: mercilessly knocking egotistical celebrities down a peg and fearlessly tackling any subject matter, no matter how controversial. Granted, the final lesson is ironically censored, although the hard-hitting truth still got across. If you can track down the uncensored version, definitely give it a watch and laugh at the brutal honesty.

Cartman and Butters make for one of the show’s funniest duos, primarily because they’re such opposites. Usually, it’s Cartman who torments Butters. This episode refreshingly turns the tables, although Butters doesn’t even realize that the ball is in his court. When Cartman’s robot prank backfires, he finds himself at Butter’s mercy. While Cartman’s face is concealed for most of the episode, it’s funnier just imagining what’s going through his head as he digs himself deeper into the mess that he’s created. As oblivious as Butters is, Cartman’s disguise is so “convincing” that he dupes Hollywood and the government as well. The way Cartman is ultimately exposed is juvenile and anti-climatic, but in the best way possible. It’s easily one of his most satisfying downfalls.

Michael Jackson made so many headlines that “South Park” had to commentate on his scandals. On the other hand, everyone was making Michael Jackson jokes in the early 2000s. What could “South Park” add? Rather than go for the obvious gags (well, most of the time at least), the creators observe Jackson from another angle. Instead of feeding into the accusations against the pop star, they satirize the conspiracy theory that cops have an agenda against rich Black men. As off-the-wall as matters get, it’s a surprisingly sweet episode that considers what most comedy shows and even journalists neglect to ask: how are Jackson’s behavior and the media circus around him affecting his children? It does all of this without actually saying Jackson’s full name.

This episode sees Garrison do everything possible to get fired. At times, it feels like the creators were doing everything in their power to get the episode pulled. During its production, the animators were hesitant to work on a particular sequence that seemed destined to be cut. We’re of course referring to Lemmiwinks’ “Hobbit”-esque journey out of Mr. Slave’s bowels. Stone and Parker were virtually the only ones working on the episode who found this idea funny. Once the episode aired, though, others joined in their laughter. That said, you can see where the rest of the crew was coming from. Every laugh is accompanied by stares of disbelief as you try to fathom how they got away with this.

Sometimes, relaying information is funnier than simply making things up. This episode is essentially a lesson on what the Book of Mormon teaches. And in the creators’ eyes, the story of Joseph Smith doesn’t make a ton of sense. Outside of one lyric that’s repeated throughout the episode, though, the writers slyly tip-toe around saying what they’re thinking, allowing the viewer to draw their own conclusions. It isn’t until the end that Stan bluntly says what’s on every skeptic’s mind. Nevertheless, Gary gets the last laugh as he lays out all the ways that Mormonism has helped him. Whether Stan believes the stories or not, who is he to judge if religion works for other people? Who says you can’t mock and champion a faith?

When you’re a kid playing make-believe, the reality of the situation might not be as sweeping as what you’ve cooked up in your head. Regardless, the experience still feels rousing. “South Park” excels in telling stories with low stakes that seem like high stakes. This “Lord of the Rings” parody is a prime example as the boys set out to return “The Fellowship of the Ring”... to the video store. What they don’t realize is that the tape has been replaced with something beyond their comprehension, turning the Sixth Graders into Ringwraiths and Butters into Gollum. The episode captures the height of “Rings” mania, but even more than 20 years later, it remains as timeless as the works of Tolkien and Jackson.

It’s no secret that Cartman has done some terrible things, keeping Butters locked in a bomb shelter being among the worst. Cartman’s actions are especially asinine when you consider his motivations. All Cartman wants is to take Butters’ place at Kyles’ birthday party at Casa Bonita. The lengths Cartman will go to for what’s admittedly a cheesy restaurant are mind-boggling. Even when his plan comes undone, he refuses to admit defeat. Watching Cartman run around the restaurant with the cops on his tail is a testament to what a shallow yet relentless character he is. The episode is only made funnier knowing that Casa Bonita is a real restaurant and it might not even exist anymore if it weren’t for “South Park.”

Towelie was largely created to poke fun at the fact that “South Park” had become a merchandising giant. His debut episode includes a fake commercial, which is made even funnier when you consider that Towelie would inspire similar real-world products, including T-shirts and beach towels. The insane plot involves conspiracies, the military (who actually turns out not to be the military), and aliens. However, all that the boys really care about is retrieving their beloved Okama Gamesphere. Much of the episode’s humor also stems from the boys’ indifference towards these dilemmas. Of course, the biggest laughs come from Towelie himself, whose catchphrases remain highly quotable. As for the episode’s lesson: Don’t forget to bring a towel.

“South Park” is known for churning out entire episodes on a weekly basis, but “Woodland Critter Christmas” nearly broke the writers. After two days of fruitless brainstorming, the creatively burnt-out staff finally decided to satirize an obscure Christmas special starring John Denver and the Muppets. From there, everything slowly fell into place with satanic woodland critters, rhyming dialogue, and a mystery narrator, whose surprise reveal provides perhaps the biggest laugh. This twisted holiday fable constantly keeps the audience guessing where it’s going and there’s always an ingenious payoff. The jokes and story are so well-crafted that you’d swear this episode was conceived way in advance. The notion that this all came together in a few days, however, is truly a Christmas miracle.

From the Dreamcast, to the PSP, to the Wii, “South Park” always finds a creative way to tie the latest gaming console into a story. “Black Friday” took matters to new levels as a literal console war breaks out between the boys, who are divided over whether to purchase a PS4 or Xbox One on Black Friday. The trilogy isn’t just a love letter to gamers, but also a sharp “Game of Thrones” parody, with Cartman serving as a calculating strategist, Kenny rising up as a princess, and George R. R. Martin ranting about something we’ve seen from time to time on the acclaimed HBO series. Above all else, it’s a clever send-up of consumerism with Black Friday bringing out the absolute worst in humanity, leaving a shopping mall looking worse than the Red Wedding.

“Imaginationland” might’ve been “South Park’s” most epic endeavor since the 1999 theatrical film. When we say “epic,” we mean both in terms of storytelling and comedy. With a grander scale, this three-part story arc is essentially the “South Park” equivalent to “Star Wars” or “Lord of the Rings.” You could also compare it to “Who Framed Roger Roger,” which similarly balanced out an ambitious concept with a ton of laughs and rich attention to detail. Part of the fun here is simply trying to spot all the familiar faces in the background, from Jason Voorhees to Snarf. Just as imagination is limitless, this trilogy never runs out of inventive scenarios or comedic opportunities. It’s packed to the brim with laughs and, of course, imagination.

While illegal immigration was a hot button topic in 2004, it’d only gained more relevance over a decade later. In that sense, “Goobacks” has not only aged well, but it may be even funnier than we initially thought. The plot revolves around time travelers from the future who arrive on earth, and are able to work for next to nothing, in turn sparking an unemployment rise in the present. How do the laid-off workers respond? A gay sex party, of course. There’s some logic in it… we guess. The whole situation can basically be summed up in four words: [“They took our jobs!”] This catchphrase is repeated throughout the episode, which you’d think would get old after a while. The line never loses its impact, however, due to its increasingly over-the-top delivery and its social relevance.

When you really think about it, a majority of disaster movies are pretty silly and redundant. The characters are often cookie-cutter archetypes, such as the hero who warns everybody of impending disaster, the evil politician who won’t listen, and the loving wife who’s just there to die tragically. This episode emphasizes just how ridiculous these cliches are by replacing humans with lice that occupy Clyde’s head. Think “A Bug’s Life” or “Antz” if they were directed by Roland Emmerich. The B story is also humorous as the boys try to uncover who has lice with Cartman taking a page from “The Thing.” The highlight, however, is the main plot, which hysterically contrasts its serious tone and dramatic moments with high-pitched voices and self-aware one-liners.

From its humble beginnings, “South Park” has prided itself on having a simplistic, if not crude, animation style. So, it’s always amusing and jarring whenever the creators experiment with a different look. This episode is equal parts parody and homage to Japanese animation, giving the cast an anime makeover. Part of what makes the episode so funny is how seriously the boys take playing ninja, which is accented by the elaborate animation. What’s especially hilarious is whenever reality sinks in, the animation reverts back the show’s traditional style. The best example is when Kenny throws his ninja star and Butters learns the hard way that weapons aren’t toys. It all builds to a timely jab at Jacket Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction, encouraging people to get their priorities straight.

Even if you had heard of Scientology before, chances are you didn’t know a ton about this religion until “South Park” clued mainstream audiences in. When the church believes that Stan is the reincarnation of its founder, L. Ron Hubbard, he’s told all about Scientology’s origins, which involves an evil alien ruler named Xenu, DC-8-like spaceships, and giant soul catchers. Just to clarify that Matt Stone and Trey Parker didn’t make this all up, the backstory comes complete with the caption: “This Is What Scientologists Actually Believe.” The episode proved that there are moments when facts are funnier than fiction. Of course, “Trapped in the Closet” is also remembered for its portrayal of Tom Cruise, which may seem childish, but we’d be lying if we said it didn’t make us laugh every time.

Like “Good Times with Weapons,” “Make Love, Not Warcraft” is another brilliant experiment in different animation styles. In this case, the South Park creators collaborated with Blizzard Entertainment to bring South Park to the World of Warcraft. Hearing Cartman’s voice come out of a CG dwarf is already a priceless visual, but there’s more to this episode than clever visual gags. It’s masterfully written, which in turns allows it to satirize the subject matter at hand. Any diehard RPG fan knows what it’s like to get immersed into a virtual world, becoming more and more oblivious to reality. This episode not only lampoons those who are addicted to this acclaimed RPG game, but also celebrates the noble warriors of Azeroth in hilarious fashion.

Where most episodes are biting satires, “Scott Tenorman Must Die” boils down to a Coyote and Roadrunner cartoon with Cartman trying to get back at Scott Tenorman, his 8th-grade rival. Around every corner, however, Cartman is bested by Scott. Considering all the horrible things Cartman has done over the years, it is somewhat satisfying and humorous watching him be continually humiliated. Since Scott isn’t the most pleasant person either, though, we do eventually root for Cartman to get his revenge. By the end of the episode, just when it looks like Scott is going to get the last laugh, it’s Cartman who comes out on top. The final act is as mean-spirited as it is unexpected, but the writers brought us this hysterically grim ending with strong buildup and a killer payoff.